Frequently Asked Questions

For your convenience, we've compiled frequently asked questions here.

One comment we hear a lot is, "Your products cost more than other products on the market."

It is a fact. We don't deny it. When your source ingredients are organic, non-GMO, sourced with quality and integrity they do cost more.

We know our products are worth every penny because they stand for quality, integrity, standards, and environmental stewardship. Learn more!

Questions About Where We Source Our Ingredients

One of the most common questions we get is about where we source our all natural ingredients. Our standards are very high and while we do believe in transparency, we do not typically disclose where we purchase our source ingredients as they are limited commodities in the marketplace and they take A LOT of time to research and source.

Many of our ingredients are purchased through Ciranda who is committed to sustainability and economic fairness. Their open and transparent annual reporting demonstrates no slave or child labor is used and the environmental impact is governed by an elaborate set of farming and production standards with a narrow list of allowed inputs and processing aids. It prohibits the use of synthetic fertilizers, toxic pesticides and genetically modified organisms (GMO’s).

Our goal is to find the highest quality safest ingredient with the lowest impact on our planet.

Selecting essential oils is an art. There are thousands of suppliers and vast differences in quality.

The quality of the essential oils are more important than words can express as these oils go on your dog's skin and can get into their bodies through their skin pores.

While we analyzed the GC/MS for the essential oils we took it a step further by taking veterinary aromatherapy training with Dr. Melissa Shelton, holistic and integrative veterinarian and founder of animalEO. We are so happy we can now blend her knowledge with ours to to help us select the very best essential oils from around the world while still caring for our planet.

4-Legger will not dry your dog's skin or strip the natural oils. In fact, it will do quite the opposite!

Over the years, soap has gotten a bad reputation because manufacturers who produce soap sell the glycerin that is developed during the soap making process (saponification).

Glycerin is natural humectant - it absorbs water from the air and attracts moisture to the skin and hair. Only the highest quality soaps - like our Castile Soap - retain all of the glycerin. Other manufacturers sell the glycerin or use them in other products that they manufacture like lotions to treat dry skin as they command higher prices! Also, these poor quality and mass market soaps usually have free alkali in them, making them harsh and drying. This is great for shelf life - and it increases the lather. It is also drying to the skin. Free alkali will find every last bit of the natural oils in your dog's skin and coat and saponify them (turn them into soap), leaving your dog dry and "squeaky clean". Too high a coconut oil percentage in the formulation. the addition of artificial color and fragrance also increases the probability that the soap will be drying. 4-Legger retains 100% of the glycerin in the product and there are no free alkalis in our formulations.

Great question. The short answer is we left out the bad stuff!

Here is the longer answer: The ingredients in traditional dog shampoo that are used to make shampoo thicker are not allowed in organic products.

While thickeners are more what the consumer is used to using, they are also linked to dry and itchy skin and can pose health risks when used on your dog.

We do have a formulation with vegetable guar gum to make our certified organic dog shampoo thicker; but, it does reduce lather.

We're not thick headed - we chose lather over a thicker consistency for most of our formulations! We know our customers value lather over consistency!

Yes! You can use 4-Legger Aloe and Lemongrass and Unscented on your cat, guinea pig, rabbit, ferret, and other animal (including yourself)!

Many people have concerns about using essential oils on cats. Their information is unfortunately 10+ years old. The more recent work that Dr. Melissa Shelton had done with cats using essential oils is excellent and a great read for anyone who is interested! Dr Shelton did extensive testing of blood work while using essential oils on cats including looking at the Cytochrome p450 liver metabolism pathway. Thanks to her pioneering studies, many veterinarians and households now safely use essential oils with their feline family members. She has many case studies on her website and in her newsletters.

The real problem with using essential oils on cats (or dogs for that matter) is the quality of the essential oil. If you use a low grade essential oil on any animal they will likely have a reaction (and being cats, they are more sensitive to inferior essential oils)! Use a high quality essential oil on a cat they may have a tremendous benefit. It goes without saying you'd not want to use undiluted essential oil on dogs or cats. They should be mixed with a carrier oil unless it is for treatment by a veterinarian who has expert level cat/essential oil experience (like Dr. Shelton)! Also, there are animals (dogs, cats, humans, etc.) that are sensitive to essential oils and if there is any reaction - use should be discontinued. We are, of course, very careful in our selection of essential oils and their quality.

Most customers will notice a difference after the first bath or after the first application of paw and nose protector.

We have had customers tell us that after the first bath their dog wasn't scratching anymore. There are a lot of factors that can make your dog itchy.

If your dog is still scratching after use, you should look at their food, allergies, and thyroid health. One of the dogs in our pack has thyroid issues. She has been helped by adding natural oils into her daily diet. Need some ideas? Coconut or salmon oil.

Yes, it is absolutely safe to use. As the temperature drops, the jojoba oil may become cloudy and solidify. That is completely normal. It occurs from the hardening of the fats and waxes. Once the product is back to room temperature, it will return to its stable appearance.

Absolutely! All of our ingredients are human grade and safe and non-toxic. We use 4-Legger products on ourselves and we get reports of customers doing the same. One of our customers said that while he bought 4-Legger for his dog he began to use it in the shower - from his head to his toes and while shaving. Since using 4-Legger he hasn't had to add moisturizer after shaving - which he had done for over a century! Way to go 4-Legger!

Yes. All of our shampoos are gluten free. Oat extract does not contain the gluten protein so even our organic oatmeal with lavender and aloe dog shampoo is gluten free!

Absolutely! 4-Legger is completely safe and non-toxic! As with any product, keep it out of their eyes. You can do this by using a wash cloth to carefully wash their face.

Yes, you can! A guinea pig's skin is very sensitive and more alkaline (basic) than a dog or cat so many dog shampoos will be very drying for guinea pigs. Almost all human shampoos and many dog shampoos are too acidic for a dog or cat (or any small animal). When you use a product that is too acidic (the pH is 6 or lower), the protective layer of a dogs skin becomes irritated and causes them to scratch (itchy skin). Prolonged use of that type of product can actually destroy the protective layer and become a gateway for all kinds of skin infections and other conditions. That's why it is so important to never use human products on dogs, cats, or guinea pigs!

We see this with dogs that have not been using organic dog shampoo - especially if they have oily skin or you have hard water (the combination makes it more common). It will take a number of washes to transition your dog's skin and coat to a true organic product. It is nothing to worry about. We suggest washing, drying, then brushing. Each bath it will feel better and softer as the hair shafts lose the artificial - synthetic coatings and transition to a true natural.

If you bathe your dog on a wood deck, the oils in the wood decking can react with the oils in your dog's shampoo causing a whitish film. Don't worry. You can use vinegar or baking soda to clean it off!

If you live in an area with hard water, the hard water and the concrete/pavers can react with the natural fats from the oils and create a white "film" on your concrete or pavers.

The longer the oils and the hard water have to react, the harder it will be to rinse off - making it look like a white film. To avoid this, wash your dog in the grass!

If you do wash on wood, concrete or pavers, we recommend rinsing it off into your yard immediately after you bathing. 4-Legger is 100% biodegradable, safe, and non-toxic. It won't harm wildlife or your 4-Leggers! If you do forget to wash it off and you do get the white film, you can use vinegar to clean it off!

Also, remember you don't need a lot of 4-Legger product for it to work! Go easy when you are pouring it out!

Yes! With the exception of our Unscented, all of our formulations have flea deterrent essential oils to naturally repel pests without poisoning your pet!

Since 4-Legger's products are certified through the National Organics Program, we must also meet labeling requirements as set forth by the US Food and Drug Administration. All dog shampoo should carry this warning; but, unfortunately since there are no regulations that requires them to do so, they don't!

You could ingest 4-Legger and it is safe and non-toxic but it likely wouldn't taste very good! We know - we grew up with mothers who washed out mouth out with soap! It didn't kill us but it sure tasted horrible.

It really depends upon the dog, climate, breed, level of activity, and of course how much they like to roll in muck!

A dog with an oily coat may need to bathed more frequently while dogs with short hair or water-repellent, thick, or double coats can be bathed less frequently. On average once or twice a month will maintain a healthy coat!

Questions about our nose and paw healing balm

Yes. Our products are safe and non-toxic and while some is licked off, there is likely enough left on the paws after being applied for it to do its job. We suggest applying when your dog is winding down to go to sleep, after a big play session, or when distracting them with their favorite toy or a treat.

Tocopherol is a derivative of Vitamin E. It is one of the few antioxidants (used as a preservative) approved for use in certified organic products. Most of our products contain Rosemary Extract as a preservative; however, to maintain shelf life some of our products needed additional preservatives

General questions about ordering from 4-Legger

All of our shampoos have a minimum 3 year shelf life.

Deodorizing sprays have a minimum 3 year shelf life.

Nose and Paw Balm has a minimum 2 year shelf life.

Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse has a minimum 3 year shelf life.

We retain samples of all of our products for in-house verification. We have products that are 4 years old with no signs of breakdown.

We run production in small batches so that nothing is sitting around in the warehouse for more than 2 - 3 months before it is purchased.

We do recommend keeping all of our natural products out of direct sunlight. The best storage location is cool and dark!

We are confident that you will be very happy with your purchase. However, if for any reason you are not, we offer the Wagging Tail Guarantee - we will refund your purchase for any reason. Your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Our products are manufactured in the United States.

Our ingredients are responsibly sourced from around the world. They are very carefully selected for their very high quality (certified organic being one of the deciding factors of course), sustainability, environmental impact, and purity. We are planet friendly!

Where possible, we purchase ingredients from within the United States.

Yes, all of our ingredients are safe and non-toxic!

We do test 4-Legger first on ourselves to see if we like the essential oil blends. Once we are happy with the blends we do a lot of dog washing to make sure you'll love it as much as we do!

We do have a wholesale program for veterinarians, groomers, and shelters and rescues.